When two different people who read the blog you write for alert you to the same news item, it's probably something worth posting about.  So it is with Sunday's NY Times article about campus bike sharing programs.

It's (almost) all good news, but I think this passage is particularly astounding (emphasis mine):

The University of New England here in Biddeford had a similar problem — too many cars, not enough space and a desire to make the campus greener. So it copied the Ripon program, handing out 105 bikes in the first week of school. Because of the program, only 25 percent of freshmen brought cars with them this year, officials said, compared with 75 percent last year.

The article's campus sample is by no means exhaustive; my undergrad alma mater just started a bike loan program, too.  Fortunately cars don't seem to be a huge problem on this (Tufts) campus (mind you, I say this as someone who never has to search for parking).  But what campus wouldn't welcome reduced auto traffic?

Now if only municipalities would follow suit; so far DC is the only US city with a similar program available to the general public.

(Thanks Joe and Laurie)

Update (10/24): Adam Knoff notes that Fort Collins has a Bike Library that actually opened before DC's bike share program did.